Touch Owners of the new Nook Simple Touch - Page 2

tomsem · 06-15-2011, 05:23 PM

I was in the market for an ePub e-ink device to complement my Kindle. Sony seems like a good device, but a little boring without wifi, and generally priced too high. Kobo is a little too stripped down for my taste. That left Nook. I have some issues with it, but they are relatively minor. The emphasis on improved performance and navigational efficiency (compared with my Kindle) is what I'm looking forward to. That and a few thoughtful software updates (add landscape, support multi-level TOC, fix publisher defaults option).

Zapped · 06-15-2011, 06:04 PM

I've been using my SONY PRS-505 since the summer of 2009. I had considered getting an Kindle Wifi because my PRS-505 eInk has always faded in direct sunlight - something I've since learned is a defect only affecting a few of those first-generation eInk screens. Borrowed a coworker's Kindle & really liked the new "Pearl" eInk over my older model, but wasn't very happy with the little four-way rocker switch that the latest Kindle uses to navigate.

I really wanted to stick to the sub-$150 price point, and when the Nook STR was announced I popped down to my local Barnes & Noble and was very impressed. Just about everything is better than my two-year old eReader (page turns, ink contrast, resizing fonts, etc) and I definitely like holding the new Nook better than the new Kindle I borrowed.

As far as UI goes (since the OP asked), I don't really care that much. I am happy that the Nook STR gives me the flexibility to change pages by tapping the screen, or swiping the screen, or pressing the physical buttons, but my requirements are simple: I want nearly zero boot time, to always return to where I was reading when I power up, and page fwd/back should be easy & quick. Easy access to the library of books, search functions, highlighting, note-taking, dictionary lookup are all minor things to me.

I do like the IR touch sensor very much, and typing with the on-screen keyboard actually seems easier than it was with the tiny physical keys on the Kindle.

I side-load everything with Calibre and my 100+ books don't half-fill the supposedly-stingy 250MB of user memory. If I ever anticipate been stranded on a desert island with only my Nook and a solar charger, I guess I'll stick a crowbar in my wallet & buy a sub-$10 multi-gigabyte SD memory card

6charlong · 06-15-2011, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbcohen

What are the best featurer(s) of the Nook Simple Touch? What sold you on the reader?

Two different questions. What attracted me was that it will render Adept ePub (I have a big ePub library from Sony days), it has page turn buttons as well as a touch screen, its light weight and Pearl screen.

Its best features are those plus its form factor, balance, fast and effective use of b/g/n routers, fast processor and the B&N brick-and-mortar stores.

There are things I don't like too, but that's a different thread. All in all the new nook is a great invention.

jbcohen · 06-16-2011, 08:09 AM

Now I will tell why I ask the question in the first place - My pals are constantly asking me - which is the best reader for me? I am getting a sence here what sort of person that Simple Touch is best for and what it does the best at. All of this will help me fit the reader to the person that asks the question.

astrangerhere · 06-16-2011, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbcohen

Now I will tell why I ask the question in the first place - My pals are constantly asking me - which is the best reader for me? I am getting a sence here what sort of person that Simple Touch is best for and what it does the best at. All of this will help me fit the reader to the person that asks the question.

I would say that the STR is good for people who want to READ on the ereader. You want a browser or twitter or facebook or any of that silliness on your reader? STR isnt for you (even though there is actually a browser hiding on the device). Want to look at / zoom / mark up a bunch of PDFs? STR isnt for you either.

If you're like me and you just want to read without the clutter of other apps and utilities wholly unnecessary to reading a book, then the STR might well be for you.

negris123 · 06-16-2011, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbcohen

Now I will tell why I ask the question in the first place - My pals are constantly asking me - which is the best reader for me? I am getting a sence here what sort of person that Simple Touch is best for and what it does the best at. All of this will help me fit the reader to the person that asks the question.

Simple Touch is best for the person that reads A LOT and mostly read text-based books (not PDFs, comic books, magazines, etc). It is easier to read on the eink display and especially the touch, not only because of the display, but because of the lack of distractions (apps, email, browsing) you find in other ereaders. If the person wants to read magazines or other books that rely on color (like children's books), then the NC is best and it also allows you to play games, browse the web, if the person wants to do more than just reading. You really have to be a bookworm to appreciate the nook touch, otherwise you might find it outdated (like I keep reading in reviews). Many people complain the touch is not an ipad, it does not have color and how that's bad, but devoted readers (of text-based books) don't need an ipad nor color to read. A book is not an ipad, so someone that owns lots of books and read books all the time will appreciate the touch and appreciate the fact that you can bring your whole library with you at all times.

jbcohen · 06-17-2011, 07:54 AM

I typically recommend a Kindle for individuals that are addictied to reading like myself. The Kindle has a search function and the ability to customize the reader to suit your needs. How does the simple Touch measure up in these terms? I do not own one for reasons that I have not stated here.

user_none · 06-17-2011, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbcohen

I typically recommend a Kindle for individuals that are addictied to reading like myself. The Kindle has a search function and the ability to customize the reader to suit your needs. How does the simple Touch measure up in these terms? I do not own one for reasons that I have not stated here.

Nook does search and I think it has a cleaner library layout. It also has plenty of customization. There are a lot of ways you can change the display of a books text. Plus you can easily (it's a feature) add your own screen savers.

jbcohen · 06-17-2011, 08:07 AM

Ah, interesting. However, I still recommend a kindle for those that like to go way off the beaten path in terms of what books one reads, after all let's face it Amazon has everything. BN is good, in terms of selection but Amazon has abosultely everything. There are aspiring authors who will seak out Amazon for publication of their first novel, I am yet to hear of an author seak out BN.

astrangerhere · 06-17-2011, 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbcohen

Ah, interesting. However, I still recommend a kindle for those that like to go way off the beaten path in terms of what books one reads, after all let's face it Amazon has everything. BN is good, in terms of selection but Amazon has abosultely everything. There are aspiring authors who will seak out Amazon for publication of their first novel, I am yet to hear of an author seak out BN.

I have yet to find a book on Amazon that I could not buy for my Nook on BN. I'm not interested in someones self-publishing service when i am chosing an e-reader. I don't read "indie" titles, but even if i did, it would not really matter to me when buying an e-reader because most of those books go to smashwords or baen where I would download them reader notwithstanding.

But in all honesty, I reccomend the Nook family because its what I own. Its what i can show them, and tell them about. I can attest to the customer service, having had my N1E replaced. I have not left the house without my STR since the day my partner bought it for me (love you babe!). ANd its what I've sat down and learned the features of.

I will second the prior poster - Nooks have search functions, and the shelving display is lovely. Books from other sources look just like BN books with covers and all metadata information (a vast improvement in STR's firmware). And above all - no silly apps to drain the battery down. I'm on my 2nd full week of reading 1-2 hours a day with wi-fi only turned on to download a new book and I still have 70% battery left.

boswd · 06-17-2011, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by astrangerhere

I have yet to find a book on Amazon that I could not buy for my Nook on BN. I'm not interested in someones self-publishing service when i am chosing an e-reader. I don't read "indie" titles, but even if i did, it would not really matter to me when buying an e-reader because most of those books go to smashwords or baen where I would download them reader notwithstanding.

But in all honesty, I reccomend the Nook family because its what I own. Its what i can show them, and tell them about. I can attest to the customer service, having had my N1E replaced. I have not left the house without my STR since the day my partner bought it for me (love you babe!). ANd its what I've sat down and learned the features of.

I will second the prior poster - Nooks have search functions, and the shelving display is lovely. Books from other sources look just like BN books with covers and all metadata information (a vast improvement in STR's firmware). And above all - no silly apps to drain the battery down. I'm on my 2nd full week of reading 1-2 hours a day with wi-fi only turned on to download a new book and I still have 70% battery left.

and that's the thing even if you did like the off the beaten path indie writer the fact that the nook supports epub you can surely find them at some more obscure ebookstore. It's like having the best of both worlds..

Leep · 06-18-2011, 07:17 PM

I am contemplating returning my new Nook Simple Touch. I love the size, touch screen and responsiveness, but would like just a couple of extra features. Have to decide if it's worth learning how to root it to see if I can do just a little more with it.

Problem is that I also love my K3 and particularly it's lighted cover is dynamite for travel.

Have any of you rooted yours? What other software/apps have you successfully added?

cheers

tomsem · 06-18-2011, 08:09 PM

Have had a chance to introduce myself to my new nook today. It's definitely going to steal some mindshare from my Kindle. As devices, I have found a number of things I don't like or consider bugs or like the Kindle way better, but it is six of one, and half dozen of the other. I plan to make a full accounting on my blog when I finish my explorations.

My latest favorite feature is the way touch&hold pops up the touched word at the top of the page, and the word changes as you drag your finger around on the page. Makes it easy to establish the initial word selection even with small text and fat fingers, and it is about 10 times faster than doing the equivalent operation on Kindle.

I do hope they fix the web browser so it is at least serviceable. It is sort of ironic that the user guide—which you cannot remove from the library—has a number of hyperlinks in it, none of which do anything.

utr13 · 06-18-2011, 08:32 PM

I have had a Nook STR for almost a week now. It is my first e-reader and I am very impressed with it. Great screen, very ergonomic, touch screen, perfect size, and expandable memory. I have already read a couple of books and I think I will be doing a lot more reading than I have previously just because it is such a convenient way to read and take numerous titles with you. I am pleased with my purchase and plan on gifting nooks to family members. As far as basic reading goes - the purpose for which I bought the Nook - this is the best product out there in my opinion.

tomsem · 06-18-2011, 08:54 PM

A question for those of you who have had your nook for a couple of weeks: do you bother to turn wireless off to save power? It seems to be a 5 click operation to toggle it on or off, and 3 just to check the status, so it's not that convenient.

In fairness, it is about the same on my iPod, where it really makes a big difference in time between charges. Not sure it matters as much when you are talking about days between charges in the worst case.

06-18-2011, 08:09 PM	#28
tomsem Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,939 Karma: 27060151 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: USA Device: iPhone 15PM, Kindle Scribe, iPad mini 6, PocketBook InkPad Color 3	Have had a chance to introduce myself to my new nook today. It's definitely going to steal some mindshare from my Kindle. As devices, I have found a number of things I don't like or consider bugs or like the Kindle way better, but it is six of one, and half dozen of the other. I plan to make a full accounting on my blog when I finish my explorations. My latest favorite feature is the way touch&hold pops up the touched word at the top of the page, and the word changes as you drag your finger around on the page. Makes it easy to establish the initial word selection even with small text and fat fingers, and it is about 10 times faster than doing the equivalent operation on Kindle. I do hope they fix the web browser so it is at least serviceable. It is sort of ironic that the user guide—which you cannot remove from the library—has a number of hyperlinks in it, none of which do anything. Last edited by tomsem; 06-18-2011 at 08:43 PM.

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06-15-2011, 05:23 PM	#16
tomsem Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,939 Karma: 27060151 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: USA Device: iPhone 15PM, Kindle Scribe, iPad mini 6, PocketBook InkPad Color 3	I was in the market for an ePub e-ink device to complement my Kindle. Sony seems like a good device, but a little boring without wifi, and generally priced too high. Kobo is a little too stripped down for my taste. That left Nook. I have some issues with it, but they are relatively minor. The emphasis on improved performance and navigational efficiency (compared with my Kindle) is what I'm looking forward to. That and a few thoughtful software updates (add landscape, support multi-level TOC, fix publisher defaults option).

06-15-2011, 06:04 PM	#17
Zapped Enthusiast Posts: 47 Karma: 30 Join Date: May 2009 Location: Austin, TX Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2	I've been using my SONY PRS-505 since the summer of 2009. I had considered getting an Kindle Wifi because my PRS-505 eInk has always faded in direct sunlight - something I've since learned is a defect only affecting a few of those first-generation eInk screens. Borrowed a coworker's Kindle & really liked the new "Pearl" eInk over my older model, but wasn't very happy with the little four-way rocker switch that the latest Kindle uses to navigate. I really wanted to stick to the sub-$150 price point, and when the Nook STR was announced I popped down to my local Barnes & Noble and was very impressed. Just about everything is better than my two-year old eReader (page turns, ink contrast, resizing fonts, etc) and I definitely like holding the new Nook better than the new Kindle I borrowed. As far as UI goes (since the OP asked), I don't really care that much. I am happy that the Nook STR gives me the flexibility to change pages by tapping the screen, or swiping the screen, or pressing the physical buttons, but my requirements are simple: I want nearly zero boot time, to always return to where I was reading when I power up, and page fwd/back should be easy & quick. Easy access to the library of books, search functions, highlighting, note-taking, dictionary lookup are all minor things to me. I do like the IR touch sensor very much, and typing with the on-screen keyboard actually seems easier than it was with the tiny physical keys on the Kindle. I side-load everything with Calibre and my 100+ books don't half-fill the supposedly-stingy 250MB of user memory. If I ever anticipate been stranded on a desert island with only my Nook and a solar charger, I guess I'll stick a crowbar in my wallet & buy a sub-$10 multi-gigabyte SD memory card

06-16-2011, 08:09 AM	#19
jbcohen Wizard Posts: 3,032 Karma: 11196738 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Where am I? Device: Kindle Paperwhite Signature edition and a Samsung S24 Ultra	Now I will tell why I ask the question in the first place - My pals are constantly asking me - which is the best reader for me? I am getting a sence here what sort of person that Simple Touch is best for and what it does the best at. All of this will help me fit the reader to the person that asks the question.

06-17-2011, 07:54 AM	#22
jbcohen Wizard Posts: 3,032 Karma: 11196738 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Where am I? Device: Kindle Paperwhite Signature edition and a Samsung S24 Ultra	I typically recommend a Kindle for individuals that are addictied to reading like myself. The Kindle has a search function and the ability to customize the reader to suit your needs. How does the simple Touch measure up in these terms? I do not own one for reasons that I have not stated here.

06-17-2011, 08:07 AM	#24
jbcohen Wizard Posts: 3,032 Karma: 11196738 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Where am I? Device: Kindle Paperwhite Signature edition and a Samsung S24 Ultra	Ah, interesting. However, I still recommend a kindle for those that like to go way off the beaten path in terms of what books one reads, after all let's face it Amazon has everything. BN is good, in terms of selection but Amazon has abosultely everything. There are aspiring authors who will seak out Amazon for publication of their first novel, I am yet to hear of an author seak out BN.

06-18-2011, 07:17 PM	#27
Leep Guru Posts: 739 Karma: 1018859 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Near Seattle Device: kindle1, K3, K3G (thanks MR), iTouch, Kindle Touch	I am contemplating returning my new Nook Simple Touch. I love the size, touch screen and responsiveness, but would like just a couple of extra features. Have to decide if it's worth learning how to root it to see if I can do just a little more with it. Problem is that I also love my K3 and particularly it's lighted cover is dynamite for travel. Have any of you rooted yours? What other software/apps have you successfully added? cheers

06-18-2011, 08:32 PM	#29
utr13 Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: Nook Simple Touch	I have had a Nook STR for almost a week now. It is my first e-reader and I am very impressed with it. Great screen, very ergonomic, touch screen, perfect size, and expandable memory. I have already read a couple of books and I think I will be doing a lot more reading than I have previously just because it is such a convenient way to read and take numerous titles with you. I am pleased with my purchase and plan on gifting nooks to family members. As far as basic reading goes - the purpose for which I bought the Nook - this is the best product out there in my opinion.

06-18-2011, 08:54 PM	#30
tomsem Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,939 Karma: 27060151 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: USA Device: iPhone 15PM, Kindle Scribe, iPad mini 6, PocketBook InkPad Color 3	A question for those of you who have had your nook for a couple of weeks: do you bother to turn wireless off to save power? It seems to be a 5 click operation to toggle it on or off, and 3 just to check the status, so it's not that convenient. In fairness, it is about the same on my iPod, where it really makes a big difference in time between charges. Not sure it matters as much when you are talking about days between charges in the worst case.

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